The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% + HA 2%

After seeing lots of hype over The Ordinary and seeing lots of great reviews on BeautyBay, I decided to give The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% + HA 2% a try.

Urban Decay 'Stark Naked' Comfort Matte Lipstick

Hey!


Yesterday was National Lipstick Day, so in honour of that I thought I would upload a lipstick review. I've had the Urban Decay 'Stark Naked' Comfort Matte Lipstick for many months now so it is about time!


With lipsticks, I like to have an easy nude colour that is quick and easy to put on when I am getting ready in a rush and don't have time to spend on perfecting my lipstick. After my favourite BareMinerals lipstick was discontinued, I needed to find the perfect new nude for this job. And this is what I chose. 

Gerard Cosmetics Hydra Matte 'Cher' Liquid Lipstick

Hey!

Sometime last year my friend and I were talking about Gerard Cosmetics and I mentioned that if I were to buy one of the liquid lipsticks, that I'd go for the shade 'Cher'. My wonderful friend remembered that and bought me it for Christmas! This is my first product from Gerard Cosmetics.

The range of Hydra Matte lipsticks, which you can guess from the name, claim to be a comfortable and nourishing formula whilst still being matte and long-lasting. The packaging looks luxurious with a gold cap and frosted glass, making it one of my favourite looking products. I absolutely love the frosted design! The shade 'Cher' is described as a 'Muted Purple'. 

I'll begin by saying that I absolutely adore the shade. It goes nicely with my purple hair and it surely is a unique colour in my collection. It applies rather easily with a little time to play around with before it dries completely matte. You're able to layer it up too to build up the colour and make it darker. The applicator is shorter than the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks that I own but not too short to make it difficult to apply.

Lasting time I find fairly good. It it non-transferable, which makes it kiss-proof(!). This type of lip product I like to use when I'm wearing make up for a long duration as it doesn't come off as easy as say a lipstick. Eating dry snacks and drinking water is fine, it is just when I am eating a big meal that it comes off on the inner parts of my lips. However, it is easy to reapply and doesn't look patchy.

In conclusion, I really like this lipstick and the formula. I would happily buy more liquid lipsticks from Gerard Cosmetics as this one has become one of my favourites and will continue to use it regularly. 

Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Eyeshadow Palette

Hey!


My birthday was in April and I decided to gift the Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance to myself as a treat. I have been lusting over the palette since it first made the rounds in blogs and YouTube, but I was put off at the price (£41.00). But let me tell you now, it was so, so worth it! 

The packaging is luxurious with a pink velvet lid and a long mirror on the inside. The shadows are a nice square shape; easy to dip your brush in to. The palette features 14 eyeshadow colours: 11 mattes and 3 metallics. It also comes with a double-ended brush which is actually nice and not one of those flimsy brushes some palettes come with.


Below is a close up of the eyeshadows. In addition I will also insert two swatch photos- the top row and the bottom row, left to right, as well as my opinions on each colour.

Top Row

• Tempera- (Matte, Beige). A lovely brightening colour which I like in my inner-corner.

• Golden Ochre- (Matte, Earth-Toned Yellow). A unique colour I've used as my lid base and an easy crease colour. I haven't seen this in other palettes.

• Vermeer- (Iridescent Shell Pink). Another favourite for an inner-corner highlight.

• Buon Fresco- (Matte Antique Lavender). My most used colour so far! An amazing lavender which I love all over my lid.

• Antique Bronze- (Metallic Sable). A deep colour that I've mostly used in my crease.

• Love Letter- (Matte, Raspberry). A beautiful colour which is unique to the palette.

• Cyprus Umber- (Matte, Dark Coffee). A nice, deep brown, good for the outer 'V' and crease.

Bottom Row

• Raw Sienna- (Matte, Neutral Amber). A neutral crease and transition shade.

• Burnt Orange- (Matte, Deep Orange). I love this colour as it is unique and goes well with Realgar.

• Primavera- (Metallic, Shimmery Gold Dust). This is an amazing inner-highlight that pops like nothing else! 

• Red Ochre- (Matte, Sienna Red). Truly stunning. A lid colour and crease colour.

• Venetian Red- (Matte, Crimson). I love the colour of this but don't find it to be as highly pigmented as the other colours, so needs building up.

• Warm Taupe- (Matte, Earthy Grey). I love this as a crease colour as it is super easy to blend which is perfect when you need to do your make up in a rush!

• Realgar- (Matte, Brick). Unique to my collection, oranges aren't praised enough.

The overall pigmentation of these shadows are insane! The only slight let down is Venetian Red, but it can be built up. I can't stress enough how velvety and smooth the eyeshadows feel when applying it which I haven't seen in other palettes that I've used. 

The only other issue is that you really do need to use shadow shields, or like me, a tissue under your eyes. The majority of the colours do have fall out that will smudge if you swipe it away. It may even be worth doing your eye make up before your base make up so you can remove any fall out with a make up wipe. This also means that little crumbs of shadow build up in the palette when you've put your brush in it, so I do recommend putting your brush back in to use those little crumbs on your eyes rather than leaving them in the palette to make a mess. This isn't really much of a problem but something to consider when using them.

In conclusion, I LOVE LOVE LOVE this palette and it is definitely my favourite in my collection! I use it every day so the amount I use it justifies the price of it. It has many unique shades and I love every colour. I've already recommended it to people and will continue to recommend it.

February Favourites

I haven't done a monthly Favourites post in a long while so thought I'd bring it back again this month!

1. Monkl Shady Lady Eyeshadow Palette- This was a Christmas present from my friend Ruby. I have been enjoying a particular shade from the palette this month which is the first shade- a glittery silver. I have been loving this colour as a base colour on my eyelid and it goes well with multiple crease colours. On a night out I have used black to create a smokey eye and in the day time I have used a purple which I absolutely loved the combination of! I find this colour becomes more pigmented as well with a damp brush so prefer to use it that way. It also makes for a fab inner corner highlight!

2. Urban Decay Aferglow 8-Hour Highlighter 'Sin'- I bought this beautiful highlighter with a gift card after eyeing it up for 6 months. The packaging is stunning to match the stunning silvery highlight. It goes on sheer so you can build it up depending on how bold you want your highlight to be and is easy to blend. This also makes for a fab inner corner highlight.

3. Real Techniques Your Picks: Berlin 'Base Shadow Brush'- Although this is a base eyeshadow brush, I've actually been loving using it to blend out the edges of my crease colour. Although I do use a crease brush first to pack on the colour, I find it is far easier to blend the edges out for a less harsh line with this fluffy brush. I reviewed the whole set on my blog so be sure to check that out!

4. Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Bronzer- This is a cult favourite for all beauty bloggers and I am certainly late to the bandwagon but I can see what the hype is about now! I've been loving how easy it is to start lightly and then build it up if necessary. The perfect bronzer colour which is also good for subtle contouring.

5. Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick 'Exorcism'- I have been wanting this browny-red vampire colour for ages so when my friend Antonia bought it for me for Christmas I was ecstatic. It's not as good at layering as 'Lolita' is but nevertheless I still love it and it doesn't have to be a bold lip that takes forever to apply. LOVE this colour!

L > R: Monkl Shady Lady '01', Kat Von D 'Exorcism' & Urban Decay 'Sin'

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick 'Lolita'

Hey!


Your girl Briony is back! Beginning University overwhelmed me so much I didn't have time for blogging. However, I've started to really miss it lately so I'm going to try get back into it.


Many months ago I mentioned that my brother went to America and so I asked him to bring me back Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in 'Lolita', before it came to the UK through Debenhams. Today I thought I'd share my review on it!


First of all, can we just say that the 14 year old emo girl in me was screaming when I learned that Kat Von D had her own beauty line. Her artwork is incredible which is beautifully represented on the lipstick packaging in the form of roses. All the artwork on her beauty products just calls out to me.


Lolita is a beautiful brown nude- perfect to go with most make up looks. I absolutely adore the colour and the more layers it has, the browner it looks.


When I first applied this lipstick I didn't have much experience with liquid lipsticks so it was definitely difficult. However, the doefoot applicator is the perfect size for application and over time I have found it easier. By no means am I a liquid lipstick, application expert but I am certainly better! But put it this way- if I was in a rush to get out the door and needed quick make up this wouldn't be my go to lipstick.

The colour dries beautifully matte, which is my favourite finish, and doesn't feel too drying. It is definitely long lasting so I can trust it on a night out or when I am eating. The colour makes my lips look bigger and plumper too, which is a bonus!


To be honest, the only bad thing I can say about this lipstick is that after a couple of reapplications it starts to show up the lines on your lips. This doesn't bother me too much but it is something to consider. 

Overall I absolutely adore this lipstick and is actually my FAVOURITE lipstick in my collection. I always come back to it and I've already got a back up! The colour with a thin application is like no other colour I've seen. Love, love, LOVE!


You can buy this lipstick online Debenhams for £16.00. I've since bought another Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick and I'm very likely to buy more!


What do you think of these liquid lipsticks?

My Current Scrub #6

It has been a while since we've done one of these! My last one was in January where I started using The Body Shop Coconut Body Scrub and I've only just finished it which I think is pretty good.


Now I am using Lush Let The Good Times Roll Cleanser. It is called a cleanser but can be used for both face and body with maize flour and polenta to exfoliate. I have actually had this in my shower for months now for exfoliating my face when I wash my hair but now I am using it for my body too. I absolutely adore this product as it smells like buttery popcorn and it forms a paste when it mixes with water. It isn't creamy like The Body Shop Coconut Body Scrub but does feel like it does more exfoliation. In addition I feel like it plumps the skin which I like using round my lips as I swear it makes them look bigger!


This particular pot won't last as long as my previous scrub from now on because I have already used half of it for my face over the months. However, I've got 2 other pots of it so no doubt you will be seeing this mentioned again!

New in My Make Up Collection

Hello all!


I've got some new items in my make up collection that I want to share with you all. 

First of all is the Zoeva Rose Golden Eyeshadow Palette. I've been eyeing up the Zoeva eyeshadow palettes for months and I finally bought one because I wanted to treat myself after pay day. I decided on the Rose Golden one because my friend has it so I've seen in person how stunning it is! I bought it for £18 on BeautyBay and amazingly it arrived the next day. 

The next few items have been excitingly anticipated by me for so long. As a former emo kid I have adored Kat Von D for many years so as soon as I knew she had her own make up line I was amazed. It was like her packaging was made just for me, with how great the products are being a bonus! My brother went to America with work for 2 months so I asked him to pick me up the Kat Von D Lolita Everlasting Liquid Lipstick and the black Tattoo Liquid Eyeliner which he did. He bought me 2 of each which gives him major brother points! Funnily enough the day after he told me he bought them Debenhams announced they were going to start selling Kat Von D Beauty in the UK, so you know full well you will see a lot more of her products on this blog.



What is new in your make up collection?

Botanics Hydration Burst Day Lotion SPF15

Hey guys!


I am back from my holiday now so I am able to post again. I thought I'd come back with a skincare review. This is Boot's own brand, Botanics. If you don't already know, the Botanics range uses natural plants as ingredients. 


The Botanics Hydration Burst Day Lotion SPF15 has soothing clary sage and is designed for sensitive and dehydrated skin. It has SPF15 UVA and UVB and it claims to have 8 hours of hydration which is typically how much time we can spend out in the day. In addition the packaging has a pump which I like as it makes it simple to use. The bottle contains 50ml of product which makes it good for travelling due to it fitting under the 100ml mark.


I bought this for going abroad as I needed a moisturiser with SPF that will protect my sensitive skin without giving me an allergic reaction. I have taken this on a 2 week interrailing adventure as well as a week in Tenerife and there is still plenty left so there is more than enough product! Another skin worry is that I am also acne prone and I get afraid the SPF will break me out. Fortunately, this moisturiser didn't seem to break me out or clog my pores. 


I found that I could use this moisturiser alone and under make up. It sat fine underneath make up and didn't make my skin look greasy or shiny when I was wearing no make up. When out in the sun I would reapply the moisturiser on areas where I am most likely to burn, such as my nose, every 2 and a half hours. Because of this moisturiser my face never burned on any of my trips abroad which I am grateful for! Because there's nothing like a nose for a Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.


Unfortunately that is it for my positive words about this moisturiser. There were certainly things I did not like about it. For starters, the lid is so annoying! The lid constantly comes off whether it is in my make up bag, my handbag or what. The lid just does not stay on and I was frequently losing it and having to find it. But the most annoying thing about the moisturiser was that it stung my eyes like crazy! It didn't matter that I didn't apply moisturiser near my eyes: it stung. Whether I was walking around as normal, got my face wet or I sweated, the moisturiser would always somehow end up irritating my eyes and they would sting for a good hour. My eyes would stream like crazy and sometimes they'd even go all puffy. I could rinse my eyes out with water and clean them with tissue but the problem still persists. After looking at the product on the Boots website I have seen that I am not the only person with sensitive skin that this has happened to! This product says it is for sensitive skin yet affects my eyes like no moisturiser ever has. Last of all whilst I was using this I was getting dry patches of skin appear on my face which leads me to think it is perhaps not that moisturising.


Because of how much it stings and makes my eyes water, I will not be purchasing this again. At £5.33 it is a decent price for a SPF moisturiser on a budget but I cannot cope with how much it hurts my eyes. I put up with it for the time that I was travelling but now it is time to let it go. Even though it says for sensitive skin, if you have sensitive skin I do warn you: proceed with caution!


Do you like anything from the Botanics range?

The Body Shop Vitamin E Intense Moisture Cream

You may remember that in April I reviewed The Body Shop Aloe Soothing Night Cream. Since then I have finished the pot and needed a new moisturiser to use at night. For that, I chose The Body Shop Vitamin E Intense Moisture Cream. I was actually intending on buying the night cream but accidentally bought this one without realising! Still, I've been using it every day and would like to let you know my feelings on it.

The Vitamin E range is for all types of skin but it's best skin type is for dry skin. Vitamin E is perfect for nourshing dry skin with 48hr moisture infusion. This product also has shea butter and aloe vera which also encourage the moisturising benefits. In addition it has hyaluronic acid which plumps the skin. It is to be used after cleansing and toning the skin. 

On the website The Body Shop describe this as a day moisturiser. However, because it's quite thick I prefer to use it as a night cream which I have been doing every night. I just don't enjoy using thick formulas in the day time! I have read reviews that it is a good base for make up so I doubt that it would be an issue for everyone. Even though it is a thick formula it is certainly not greasy and doesn't take too long to absorb.

Although I was enjoying using the Aloe Night Cream for my sensitive skin issues, I wanted to try this out because my skin was going through a stage of being rather dry. My chin was dry, my neck was dry and my under eyes were calling me havoc! I'm not even exaggerating, it only took 2 DAYS of using this cream for my dry patches to go away! I was totally amazed by it. It didn't sting to use around my eyes so I could slather it on my eyelids and under eyes. Every day I wake up with super soft skin and what were dry patches are now smooth areas of skin that don't show up texture when I apply make up. It hasn't broke me out or anything either which is a bonus.

This product is actually one of The Body Shop's best selling skincare products and even won a Vogue 100 Beauty Wall of Fame Award. So as you can tell, it's pretty popular! I can totally see why people like it so much. The price tag is £12.00 which I think is a fair enough price and not too expensive, especially when The Body Shop constantly have sales going on.

If you suffer from dry skin I really recommend this product and the Vitamin E range in general. I have already raved about this to people on Twitter!

Have you used anything from the Vitamin E range?

Sephora Avocado Face Mask

Hello all,


I feel like I haven't sat down and written anything in a while! But as you may have seen in my recent Sephora Haul, I bought a few things from Sephora in Paris for the first time and this Avocado Face Mask was one of them.


To explain what it is, this is a sheet face mask which is attached to a pink film. You peel it off the film and place it over your clean face where there are holes for your eyes, mouth and nostrils. You then wear it for 15 mins before peeling it off and massaging in any excess serum for it to sink into your skin. There is no rinsing involved which is a bonus for me!


The Avocado Face Mask is designed to nurture your skin by relieving sensitive areas and giving intense nutrition. The avocado soothes and nourishes with rice extract to moisturise. There is also broccoli and sprout extract which I think helps give some natural advantages to this mask! I personally chose this mask so I could use it when my skin was being particularly sensitive and/or when I had some dry patches that needed nourishing. Because I have sensitive skin sometimes I can have a reaction which leaves areas feeling dry and sore, as well as causing redness. In addition to that I can suffer from acne so I would want to use something soothing to help keep my skin calm.


My first thoughts when I unpeeled the mask was how much serum there was! The whole packet is drenched in serum so you've got to be careful not to spill any when peeling the mask off. I love how it is absolutely soaked because then you know you're going to have a very intense mask. When I placed the sheet over my face it was a little tricky to get in the right places as it is much larger than my face. When I had it in place however I found it easy to press flat against the contours of my face such as the sides of my nose, my under eyes and under my chin. It stayed firmly in place and didn't peel off or slide down. 


When I peeled the mask off there was still serum sat on my face so I massaged it in. I then used some off of the pink film and inside the packet to rub into my neck and thoroughly around my eyes. It didn't aggravate my sensitive skin nor did it sting my eyes. The serum then didn't take too long to soak in and when it did my skin felt so soft! I did this at night time and when I woke up the next day my skin still felt very nourished. At the time I also had a dry under eye and dryness on my chin. After I used this serum the dryness didn't completely go however it did feel softer and like it had some intense treatment! I believe that it did help the process of dealing with the dry patches on my face. 


I used this Friday night as I knew I was going out Saturday night to a masquerade ball and I wanted my skin to look nice. I noted that the mask also made my complexion look a lot brighter than normal and the skin tone was more even so I thought it was perfect to use before an event!


I loved using this mask and my only disappointment was that I didn't think to save the packaging. Even though I used as much as I could all over my face and neck there was still plenty of serum left in the packaging and now I regret not keeping the it so I could use the serum again. I think if I buy one of these masks again I'll save the packaging next time!



If you don't think the Avocado Face Mask is for you there are plenty of other masks in the line with different skincare benefits and different type of masks such as some for your lips! The Sephora masks are definitely worth checking out and I will certainly pick up some more the next time I find myself in the shop. They are $6 which I think is a fair price and that is the same in euros also. 


Have you tried the Sephora masks?

My First Sephora Haul

Hello all!


Recently I found myself in a Sephora store in Paris. This wasn't the first time I had been in a Sephora store (my first time was in Spain last year), but this is the first time I have bought anything from there. I never knew I could be so excited over a store!


As soon as I went in to the store I hunted down their own brand make up products. I have seen loads of bloggers and YouTubers talk about their liquid lipsticks so I knew I wanted one. I haven't used a liquid lipstick before! I picked up two matte colours, 'Always Red' (a true, bold red) and 'Strawberry Kissed' (a lighter, slightly pinkier toned red). Unfortunately there wasn't many colours left so I didn't get to try out many colours and had to get two reds. I really wished they had some nudes in stock because I probably would have got a red and a nude! However I love them both and I am glad I got them. Of course, reviews will follow!

The next item I picked up was a face mask. Again, I've seen plenty of bloggers and YouTubers talk about the Sephora masks so I felt really intrigued to buy one. I would have liked them all but in the end I chose the Avocado face mask which claims to give intense nutrition to skin and give relief to sensitive skin. I chose this one as I have never used avocado in a mask before and most of my masks are for targeting acne so I wanted something different. I think I will use this if my skin is quite dry and/or sore!

The last item is a primer. I hadn't planned to buy a primer but that day I realised that I had lost mine! I thought that I had left it in Berlin where I was previous, but when I got back to the UK and emptied out my bag I found it! Such a relief. But anyway, I decided to go for the Sephora Prep & Perfect Pore & Fine Line Filler Blurring Effect Primer (phew!). It is a tinted primer that doesn't feel particularly silicone-y and I will let you know what I think of it soon.

That's all for now. I hope this will be the first of many! My brother is currently in America for work so I am hoping he will pick me up some stuff from Sephora there which you can't get in Sephora Europe. 

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Spray

I love Soap & Glory products. I love their make up and their bath/shower products. The products are great, the packaging is great and the brand is just a fun brand over all.

One range they have is called Sugar Crush. Sugar Crush is an extremely sweet smell with vanilla musk, sweet lime, ginger and essential lemon oil. To me it smells strongly of sugary lemon and reminds me of a cross between Lush sugar lip scrubs and lime. I would hazard a guess that the scent is one of those scents that you love or you hate. If you have a sweet tooth I would definitely recommend the scent but if you don't then you might find it far too sickly! I personally love the scent and think it's perfect for a bright summer's day.

The packaging of the body spray is also nice. It is in a tall, pink bottle with a picture of a lovely looking lady holding a lime; the typical style you expect from Soap & Glory products. You get 100ml of product and is £4.00 which I think is a fairly reasonable price.

My downfall with the body spray is that I don't really find it lasts at all. In my experience the smell doesn't linger on my skin for long and I'm pretty sure it is gone by half an hour. Because of this I do like to ensure I use perfume on my neck and wrists so I know I smell nice. It's nice to freshen up with as it's such a fun, sweet smell and could easily be carried around in a handbag to top up during the day but because the smell doesn't last whatsoever I won't be repurchasing this. I don't expect major long lasting power from body sprays but I do expect them to actually make me smell nice after the process of spraying it!

Do you love or hate the Sugar Crush scent?

Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani 'Rock Steady' Lipstick

Hello!

Ever since I saw the Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani range I knew I had to have something. I used to absolutely adore Gwen Stefani in my childhood and was always singing her songs! I also love Urban Decay so it's a good mix. Gwen is known for her bold lips and I nearly *always* go for a bold lip so I knew she would have a colour I'd love.

The packaging of her lipsticks are quite unique and are inspired by Gwen's love of black and gold graphic prints. This has differently angled lines of gold and black which gives me a very rock feel and I love it.

'Rock Steady' is a warm, deep red with a sheen to it which isn't quite as dark as the bullet shows. I've seen it described as glossy but when I think of glossy I think of as shiny as a lipgloss so I don't agree with it. I think it has a sheen to it which focuses mainly on the middle of the lips. The lipstick is a cream lipstick making it really easy to glide onto the lips and gives a slightly slippy feel as opposed to it feeling really dry like some lipsticks can. It is also extremely pigmented and you can achieve an opaque, bold lip straight away.

I believe that this lipstick looks good with and without a lip liner; although I prefer to use it with. This is because I sometimes find after eating oilier food the lipstick can bleed a little at the edges of my month which can be easily fixed anyway. The range does have matching lip liners but I use a far cheaper alternative by pairing it with a L'Oreal red lip liner. 

As for lasting power, because it is a sheen lipstick it doesn't last as long as a matte lip would. If I'm not eating and drinking it is fine but if I do eat and drink the colour on the sides and corners of my mouth will go. Drinking a drink through a straw is okay but if I'm drinking out of a cup it will go. Because of this I always make sure I bring the lipstick out with me and will reapply after I've finished eating. Layering the lipstick is fine and it doesn't go funny like some lipsticks can do (I find that with MAC ones).

In conclusion I do like this lipstick. It is very pigmented so makes a wonderful bold lip and it is a red and finish that I didn't already have in my collection. Nearly all of the lipsticks I own are matte so this is something different, but not too different, for me. It hasn't got the best lasting power after eating but reapplying is perfectly fine. Just watch out for any of the colour bleeding! Maybe if you're going out all day you could bring a cotton bud with you just in case.

The lipstick is £16 making it one of the most expensive lipsticks I have. I'm glad I bought it and it would be something I'd see as making a good gift for a real make up lover or for someone who also had a love for Gwen Stefani years ago!

Do you have any of the products from the Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani range?

Skincare | My Face Mask Collection

In April I shared with you guys my body butters, creams and lotions collection so today I thought I would bring you my face mask collection. My face mask collection certainly isn't as big as my body butter collection though! I've mostly used Lush face masks before which if you've used them then you know they go out of date after a week or so, hence why they aren't here! For the record I have sensitive skin so please note that if you have sensitive skin I do find all of these masks to be gentle for that.

• Superdrug Aloe Vera Mud Mask- My sister bought me this for Christmas and I've been using it once a week on and off since. It is for normal to combination skin and aims to calm, replenish moisture, cleanse and purify pores. I like mud masks as the tightening sensation really makes it feel like it's doing something for your pores. I don't find it drying and believe it does the job. I use this all over my face.

• The Body Shop Tea Tree Face Mask x2- If you read The Body Shop Tea Tree Edit you would know that I love the tea tree range! This mask is for blemished skin and works to treat and minimise breakouts. I have used this for years and either use it on my whole face or a really bad break out. Works a treat!

• InstaNatural Dead Sea Mud Mask*- This is a huuuge tub! This is another mud mask which actually comes from the Dead Sea. It works to absorb excess oil, dirt, treat acne, pimples, blackheads and even your skin's complexion. What a mouthful! This mask is very drying and feels kind of itchy but it really does change your skin. A little goes a long way and I know this definitely won't be running empty any time soon.

• Proactiv+ Skin Purifying Face Mask*- This little tube comes with other Proactiv+ products which contain salicylic acid. The point of the mask is to fight blemishes, prevent break outs and refine pours. It is definitely something to consider if other treatments aren't helping get rid of those pesky spots. I don't normally use this all over my face as I find salicylic acid quite drying and instead like to use it in select areas where I am suffering from acne.

What are your favourite masks?

*These items were sent to me, all opinions 100% my own. I'm not paid to talk about them!

Maybelline The Falsies Push Up Drama Mascara

This is the Maybelline The Falsies Push Up Drama Mascara which came out this year. I had heard lots of brilliant things about this mascara from bloggers and YouTubers so I decided on a whim in Boots that I'd buy it. I didn't need a new mascara, but how many is really too many? I tell myself it is for the purpose of the blog.

Maybelline claim that this mascara instantly plumps and volumises lashes and keeps them lifted with styling wax. The brush has cup shaped bristles to push up your eyelashes to give a lifted effect. The packaging is half red and half black which a black band in the middle, making it look like there might be a wand on either side but there is only one! It is a tall mascara.

When I first opened the mascara the first thing that hit me was the smell. It smells so strong and so bad that it made my eyes water! Fortunately the scent has died down over the time but for a while it definitely wasn't a treat for my sense of smell.

To give you context, my eyelashes are straight and point outwards and downwards so have no lift to them. I also don't have many eyelashes and some short eyelashes due to losing lashes from a previous eye infection. So for me I am looking for mascara that curls my lashes and keeps them lifted! I battle the sparse lashes by tight lining with black eyeliner to give the illusion I have more eyelashes than I actually do.

When I first used the mascara I honestly didn't like it and I panicked because everyone else seems to like it. When I used it the smell bothered me, it was very clumpy and clumped my lashes together. It was also very messy and I had a lot of clean up to do afterwards. The only things I seemed to like was that it made my eyelashes look longer and very black.

This is one of those mascaras where the formula gets better after using it for a while. The formula was quite wet and clumpy at first and I had to ensure I brushed my lashes through with an eyelash comb before and after to make it work. However after a while the formula changed and became less wet and less clumpy. 

As for my lashes, they are extremely black and I see definite length added to them when I use this mascara. If I do it right (which I'll go on to explain) my eyelashes do lift up at the ends and I can add an extra lift to it throughout the day by just holding my finger under my lashes and gently pushing up. The mascara then helps to hold them up.

The mascara is still a bit messy and I find it near impossible to use this mascara without leaving some sort of mess. When I do my inner eyelashes and lower eyelashes 8 times out of 10 it will smudge. This is annoying but can be cleaned up by leaving it to dry then flaking it off with a cotton bud. 

So as I mentioned above, I have a 'right' way of using this mascara. It took some trial and error but I have found that I need to do it in a certain order to avoid clumping. First of all, when I pull the wand out of the product I have to wipe some of the product off. I then start with my upper lashes of the eye with the most eyelashes, that being my right eye. This is so the product spreads out over the majority of my lashes to avoid the clumping. I then like to do the upper lashes of my left eye before doing my lower eyelashes so there is less product and thus less likeliness of clumping on my lower lashes which are short and sparse.

When done correctly I do like my eyelashes with this mascara as they have a small lift and are lengthened. Done incorrectly and my lashes are clumped together and messy. As for lasting power the mascara doesn't smudge on my upper lashes and smudges slightly from my lower lashes after 4 hours. This doesn't bother me much because I just swipe it away with the side of my index finger. 

I don't sell it very well but this mascara is actually alright and I've definitely used worse. I like the little lift it gives my eyelashes but I reckon I could find another mascara with better lift and better hold. But for now I will continue to use this one and will take it away with me when I go on holiday. I do recommend trying it because out of all the reviews I had seen on this they were all pretty positive so it does seem popular! It is £7.99 which is a fair price for a Maybelline mascara.

What do you think of this mascara?